Caufield scores twice as Canadiens beat Sabres 4-3 in overtime

Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the game 54 seconds into overtime Saturday, October 17, to give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre in Montreal. Buffalo had rallied from a 3-1 deficit before Caufield won it on a breakaway.

The winning chance followed a shot by Buffalo's Josh Norris. The puck rebounded hard off the boards, according to NHL.com's game recap, and Caufield chased it down at the blue line before beating Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen over his blocker-side shoulder. The Associated Press reported that the goal extended Caufield's Canadiens record to 14 regular-season overtime goals.

How Montreal built its lead

Alexandre Texier made it 3-1 at 7:39 of the second period, putting away his own rebound after tipping a point shot by Kaiden Guhle. Jack Quinn pulled Buffalo back within one at 9:52 with the Sabres' first short-handed goal of the season. Montreal later had a two-man advantage for 45 seconds, but Suzuki supplied its only shot on goal during that spell, NHL.com reported.

Buffalo's rally and Caufield's winner

Tage Thompson tied the score 3-3 at 10:12 of the third period after Josh Doan found him beside the net. Buffalo had a late power play when Slafkovsky tripped Jiri Kulich with 2:17 left in regulation, but could not convert despite spending much of that time in Montreal's zone, according to the Associated Press. Caufield's breakaway goal settled the game in overtime.

Jacob Fowler stopped 23 shots for Montreal in his fourth start in five games; Luukkonen made 30 saves for Buffalo. Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier each recorded two assists. The result was Montreal's second win over Buffalo in five days, following a 4-3 shootout victory Tuesday. NHL.com listed the Canadiens at 4-3-1 and the Sabres at 4-3-2 after Saturday's game.

Montreal is scheduled to host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, while Buffalo is due to host the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.